


What's that?

by lovewillcomeandfindme



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gay dads, M/M, Modern AU, No Beta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25001047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovewillcomeandfindme/pseuds/lovewillcomeandfindme
Summary: Katar had been volunteering at the animal shelter for a bit now, and one puppy has already been returned twice. When she tell's her father about it, what did she really expect him to do?~Or~"Whatcha got there?""A smoothie."But with gay dads and a dog.
Relationships: Bato/Hakoda (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 183





	What's that?

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this was written on my phone while I was at work and it didn't get read over by anyone before getting posted, so enjoy! Comment, leave kudo's you know the deal!

"Hakoda." The words were too calm. Bato hadn't even moved beyond turning the page of whatever magazine was in his hand. "Welcome home."

Ah. 

So this was how it was gonna go. 

"Hey," He gripped the leash tightly, adjusting the bags in his other hand as quietly as he could. The pup wasn't too interested in moving away from him at the moment either, as though he could sense the tense atmosphere.

' _Good boy_ ', Hakoda thought distantly.

"So…" He shifted, and Bato's eyes flew to meet his, looking remarkably unimpressed. "I got you something?" 

It wasn't meant to be a question, but it was. Because in theory, he had gotten something. Maybe not exactly for Bato, but for them. 

"I see that." The grey eyes momentarily settled on the husky on the floor before they returned to Hakoda's own, making him feel like a child. 

"I-" He was a grown ass man. "He's cute, and Kat keeps sending me pictures of dogs at the shelter, and-"

Bato was fighting back a smile, and that made him relax immediately. 

Katara had been showing up weekly to tell them all about the new shelter she'd been volunteering at- And, consequently, about the blind girl who she'd spent the first week there arguing with before becoming close friends. 

Hakoda would be a liar if he said that he didn't have some suspicions about that, but he'd keep his mouth shut. 

So when she had sent him a picture of the latest drop off, a young husky pup that had been returned twice already?

He was weak. 

He was weak to a lot of things, but he was especially weak to puppies with big blue eyes and soft looking fur, who apparently had more energy than any reasonable person should be able to keep up with. 

He'd promised himself that he would just be looking, just meet the dog today and then go back home and talk it over with Bato. That plan had gone out the window though, as soon as he walked in the door and was immediately getting jumped on by what was undoubtedly the softest thing he'd ever touched. 

And when he'd finally gotten to sit down, and the pup was quickly bringing him a large assortment of toys, happy to share and desperate to play? He'd already made up his mind, his head full of images on how much life this puppy had, how much he would help him and Bato- How just this one addition to their little family would make it perfect. 

Maybe he was struggling with his suddenly empty nest, but both his children had moved out now, and had been for a few months. Sure, they visited, but how did that break his habit of waking up at ungodly hours of the morning to make them breakfast and wrestle Sokka out of bed, in hopes the kid would actually get to school on time? It was a more difficult adjustment than he’d been prepared to deal with, as it turns out. 

It had only occurred to him while he was on his way home, car packed full of stuff a puppy needed- He hadn't gotten to tell his husband exactly where he was going this morning. 

It had slipped his mind, and he was dressed and about to head out the door as Bato was just beginning to embark on his quest for coffee, looking like a zombie as he fumbled around for a mug. Hakoda had gotten to give him a quick kiss before he left but that was it. 

He only remembered this as he was barely ten minutes away from home, and he'd quickly decided that he would be calm. Be calm, walk in the house, pretend everything was normal. Hope Bato just goes with the fact that they have a dog now. 

Obviously, that might not work, but had been all he had. 

And now? He had nothing.

“So, you had an eventful day,” Hakoda really was lucky that Bato was the man he was. He knew that at this point any normal partner would be losing their god damned mind- Even Kya would probably be trying to wring his neck right now- And he’d deserve it, no doubt. “And you didn’t even get me coffee on your way home.”

Bato was shaking his head, letting himself cave in to an amused grin. “Sometimes I wonder what’s going on in that head of yours. Katara called.”

Oh. That made a lot of sense, but his attention was drawn towards the dog who had seemingly gotten bored of sniffing his feet for the moment. “Wanna meet him?” Hakoda asked quietly, raising an eyebrow as he knelt down to undo the leash as Bato nodded. 

As soon as he was off the leash, the dog- He really needed a name- was practically flying. Bato had all of two seconds before he had a lap full of husky, and he wasn’t exactly _small_ / Hakoda had been warned already that he would grow into a beast of a thing, but he’d already had his heart stolen by it. Bato wasn’t exactly sold yet though, and he let out a pained groan as the dog stepped on- Hakoda winced. 

As soon as Bato made a noise the dog was off of him, sitting on the couch instead, sniffing Bato’s arms, incredibly interested in this new person. Bato’s eyes were clamped shut, and his fists were clenched, crinkling the magazine he’d been holding, but beyond that he wasn’t moving. 

“You okay-?”

“I’m _fine_.” Was spat back out at him immediately, and he was taking a deep breath, his eyes opening to stare at the dog with pursed lips. “ _Tiny_ here is gonna need to get off the couch though.”

_‘Tiny would be a good name’_ , Hakoda thought. 

“And I want a cat.”


End file.
